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The Bureau of Customs Port of Subic detained M/V Bangpakaew on August 18 following a tip that it contained contraband sugar
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The ship arrived from Thailand and was suspected to be carrying approximately 140,000 bags or 7,000 metric tons of sugar
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Sugar in the Philippines is currently in short supply
A general cargo ship suspected of containing 7,000 metric tons (140,000 bags) of contraband sugar has been detained on August 18 by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic.
The M/V Bangpakaew, which arrived from Thailand, carried sugar classified as reserved sugar bottlers’ grade by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) per Sugar Order No. 3, series of 2021-2022. Sugar Order No. 3 provides the sugar import program for crop year 2021 to 2022 and provides the rules for the importation of 200,000 MT of refined sugar.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services has sent investigators to Subic port to ascertain facts about the shipment, BOC said in a statement.
BOC said the ship will be detained pending authentication of documents covering the shipments of sugar onboard.
The customs bureau is also considering filing charges depending on the outcome of investigation.
The detainment of M/V Bangpakaew follows two joint government operations on August 18 that led to the seizure of imported sugar worth an estimated P220 million and suspected of being hoarded amid supply issues of the commodity in the country.
Rice smuggling allegations
In another development, the BOC Port of Iloilo denied allegations of rice smuggling activities at Iloilo port, particularly at Iloilo Commercial Port Complex.
It said the alleged smuggled rice on board MV Hai Ha 58, MV Hoa Binh 54, and MV Hai Dang 168 were covered by clearances and permits issued by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry in compliance with Republic Act No. 11203 or An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and For Other Purposes.
As for MV Royal 18, which arrived at the Port of Iloilo on August 14, 2022, BOC said the goods declaration of the rice shipment on board the vessel has been lodged to BOC’s Electronic-to-Mobile System while the vessel was at the anchorage area and waiting for berthing space.
In a separate statement, BOC said these are “unfounded allegations that intend to malign the good image of the BOC-Port of Iloilo considering that no history of rice smuggling has been recorded at the port.”
